


If You Want Love

by Gravity_Solarflare



Category: RWBY
Genre: Acceptance, Angst, Atlas Academy, Bumblebee - Freeform, F/F, F/M, Fairgame, Fluff, Love and Loss, M/M, Renora, Resurrection, Revenge, War, arkos, challenging the gods
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-21
Updated: 2020-03-28
Packaged: 2021-02-28 00:08:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,480
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22834540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Gravity_Solarflare/pseuds/Gravity_Solarflare
Summary: Silver eyes stared at the beings before her, flicking between the two. "Tell us, Ruby Rose. Is that a sacrifice you're willing to make?""yes, it is."****It's been weeks since the events of Volume 7. RWBY and JNR survived Salem's attack on Atlas, but Qrow, Robyn, and Oscar have been missing in action since. The two teams must find their missing comrades and find a way to battle on both fronts. Ahead of them lies Salem and her army, behind is Ironwood. Decisions will be made that tests all individuals and their families. Will they stay together and defeat Salem?  Or will they crumble before the Gods' wrath for their failure? What happens when they're given a slim chance to bring back those they've lost?
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Jaune Arc/Pyrrha Nikos, Lie Ren/Nora Valkyrie, Neopolitan/Roman Torchwick, Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi, Qrow Branwen/Robyn Hill (Brotp), Raven Branwen/Taiyang Xiao Long, Robyn Hill/Fiona Thyme, Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee, Summer Rose/Taiyang Xiao Long
Comments: 3
Kudos: 59





	1. Let You Down

**Author's Note:**

> This is your first and only warning: This piece contains RWBY Volume 7 spoilers, especially regarding chapters 12 and 13. 
> 
> Heavy mentions of violence, including vaguely mentioned torture. LGBTQ+ ships. This fic is mainly my predictions and hopes for volumes 8 and 9/end of the series. Buckle up buttercup, you're in for a wild ride. Comments and questions are always encouraged! I will answer them and update the story as best as I can! I am always open to suggestions!
> 
> If you want to draw fan art from it, please tag me as Solarflare.art on IG or Solarflare_art on Twitter! I would love to see what you come up with!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Feels like we're on the edge right now  
> I wish that I could say I'm proud  
> I'm sorry that I let you down  
> Let you down  
> All these voices in my head get loud  
> I wish that I could shut them out  
> I'm sorry that I let you down  
> L-l-let you down"
> 
> -Let You Down, NF

Violet eyes somberly watched the pair of hands that were nearby, feeling the emotions that compelled them to slowly trace a small piece of metal. Robyn sat quietly in her seat, riding through the bumps as the airship swerved around and struggled against the turbulence. Qrow was slumped in the seat next to her, his red eyes never leaving the metallic pin in his long fingers. The once shiny metal on it was scratched and stained; vibrant green had rusted to a darker shade. There were still traces of blood on the surface, a painful reminder of who it once belonged to. Qrow’s chest slowly rose and fell while his thoughts dwelled on the lucky pin. It wasn’t until the turbulence nearly tumbled the man out of his seat that his red eyes left the pin. His fingers curled around the metal, holding it in a vise grip. His free hand shot for the armrest of his seat and he quickly recovered, steeling himself. His eyes eventually met the violet pair staring at him. 

Worry crossed the woman’s face. Neither of them were in great shape. Robyn’s ratty blonde hair hung in her face, half hiding the cuts and bruises on her pale face. Deep bags drew the life from her violet eyes. Her shaking hands were clasped in front of her, trying to steady themselves. Mud, grime, and blood matted her dark clothes. Qrow was in much worse condition. The same dark circles haunted his red eyes, but there was no light in them. They were sunken in, just as his cheekbones were. His body had grown frail and the sight made Robyn think she was sitting next to a walking skeleton. His now loose clothes were in the same tattered, beaten condition as her own. Yellow, brown, black, and blue dotted his facial structure, giving color to his pasty skin. His rings didn’t fit his fingers anymore. His greying hair stuck every which way; a matted, awful mess. 

The people’s hero bit her lip and shifted, trying to ignore the painful shackles on her wrists and ankles. What had they done to him? “Qrow…” Her ragged voice managed to speak up for the first time since they boarded the hovercraft. “What happened… in there?” Her voice cracked a bit from not using it. 

Red eyes wandered to her own, settling on the shackles on his own wrists. There was no emotion on his face as he struggled to find his voice. He hadn’t used it in weeks. “Isn’t it o-obvious?” It was barely above a whisper. “They beat me senseless.” He winced a little as memories of Ironwood and the Ace Ops carrying out their blows flashed through his mind. He hadn’t fought them, didn’t try to avoid a single hit. He’d taken each one until he had been left a bloody pulp in his prison cell. Harriet and James had dealt the most. The rest from Elm and Vine. Marrow was the only one who didn’t participate in avenging his fallen leader. He didn’t want to be part of such cruel treatment. 

“I…” Robyn tried to place a hand on his shoulder, but her shackles prevented her from doing so. She sighed in defeat and let her arms collapse into her lap. “Did they starve you…?” Her violet eyes scanned over his gaunt body another time. The drained man only nodded, too exhausted to say anything else. Robyn slumped in her seat. “I’m so sorry… for everything.” Her ragged voice cracked once more. Her tongue briefly wet her cracked lips. Her eyes shifted to the sentinels guarding them. Nothing more than large tin cans with guns. She sighed and slumped more in her seat. Qrow’s eyelids grew heavy and his red eyes closed, however his grip remained strong around the lucky pin in his palm.

The woman’s thoughts slowly shifted to somewhere else. They lingered on Fiona and her other huntresses. Were they alright? Were they still alive? She bit her lip at the thought, trying to force it away. It had been weeks since Salem’s forces brought their wrath upon Mantle and Atlas. Robyn nor Qrow knew the details about what occurred during that fight. How mow any lives had been lost. Robyn had no way of knowing if her huntresses were alive, just as Qrow didn’t know if team RWBY and the others were still out there. Despite their lack of knowledge, they were surprised Atlas was still standing. How had it ended? Did the General forfeit to Salem? No that couldn’t be possible. Atlas wouldn’t still be in the sky if that were the case. Had they somehow pushed back Salem’s forces? Robyn shook her head. Too much thinking was confusing her overworked and exhausted brain. Finally she closed her eyes, just trying to gather what little strength she had left.

The turbulence began to pick up and the hovercraft shook and trembled under its power. The two exhausted huntsmen slid in their seats as the ship listed. Qrow grumbled a bit under his breath. “Where are they… taking us anyways?” He paused, red eyes slowly cracking open again. “And why now?” His haunted eyes settled on the craft’s side door, peering out its window. 

“I wish I knew.” She murmured back, following his gaze. They both could see the lights of Atlas’ city, but it was blurred by the constant downpour outside. They grew quiet, listening to the storm. Thunder clapped around them, its roaring echoes ringing in the metal around them. It was almost enough to have the hair on their necks stand up. A loud crack sounded off in the sky again before the ship shuddered violently. Robyn sat up in her seat, violet eyes wide. “What was that?”

Red eyes slowly looked up at her before a shrug responded to her question. A small amount of energy returned and Qrow pulled himself up in his seat a little. The lights in the cabin flickered and they both looked up before turning to each other. This couldn’t be good. There was a few seconds of silence before the booming sound of a massive object slamming into the hull roared through the ship. The craft began to spin out of control and the lights shut off, immediately replaced by flashing red lights and alarms. “Hold on!” Robyn called out as the ship began to plummet to the surface below. She felt her stomach drop at the sudden change. She struggled against her restraints, trying to break free. Qrow was nearly thrown from his seat and he tried to hold onto the arms of it. The Atlesian sentries began to move, stumbling around the cabin. Objects began to fly around as the ship spun wildly. 

Something slammed into the ship’s hull again, sending it spinning to the right. Robyn let out a panicked cry, struggling more. The impact sent the two sentries and a number of other objects crashing into the wall adjacent to them. Qrow’s eyes widened when he saw Harbinger become dislodged from its imprisonment. The massive sword fell with gravity, threatening to harm them all. “Robyn, watch out!” He shouted. Her violet eyes snapped up, immediately seeing the enormous weapon falling towards them. They both leaned back in their seats as best they could. The sword whizzed past them, however its sharp blade slid between Robyn’s retreating hands, severing her shackles. The weapon continued down the ships hull until it slammed into the wall, decapitating one sentry and knocking the gun from the other’s hands.

Robyn and Qrow’s eyes widened as they stared at Robyn’s newly free hands. There wasn’t a single scratch from the blade. Robyn immediately let out a victorious howl. “Luck is on our side tonight!” She quickly bent over to free her legs before turning to free Qrow of his shackles. Qrow winced a bit at her choice of words, but relief flooded him a bit. The hovercraft resumed its plummet to the ground below, alarms growing louder. As soon as Qrow was free, Robyn launched herself from her seat and to the side, using her force to destroy the remaining sentry below. Qrow slipped the metal pin into one of his pockets before trying to move. His body immediately protested. “Qrow, come on, we’re running out of time!” Robyn yelled as she desperately tried to find the latch for the door. They needed to jump out before the ship crashed. The man winced in pain but forced himself to move, slipping down from his seat to fall where Robyn was. The impact shuddered through his weakened body and he let out a pained groan. Panic raced through Robyn’s veins as she fumbled for the latch. “Where is it?!” She cried. Qrow forced himself to move and help her.

They were only meters away from colliding into the ground when another clang filled the air. The hovercraft jerked and stopped mid fall, sending the two huntsmen crashing to the floor. “What the hell?” Qrow gasped between pained breaths. Robyn weakly pulled herself to her knees, glancing around, confused. Silence filled the air as they waited for their doom. Was it Atlas? Grimm? After several painfully long seconds, the hull began to shriek as a bright green light began to drill its way through the wall.

Robyn’s eyes widened and she scrambled over to Qrow, dragging him away from the blast area. “Stay down!” She shouted as it became increasingly hotter in the room, building up quickly. The green blast shot through the wall and hit the other side before immediately shutting off. There was a whirring sound of metal as a bright white light flipped on, blinding the pair in the dark ship. Robyn used herself as a shield for Qrow, who still hadn’t gotten up. One of her hands came up to block the light from her own eyes. She looked shakily towards the newly created entrance, seeing a silhouette emerge from the bright light. After a second, the metallic whirring stopped and the figure turned. 

“It’s them!” A familiar feminine voice called from the light and it dimmed. Robyn blinked a little, letting her eyes adjust once more. The figure slowly approached them, kneeling down. Soon enough, Robyn could make out the orange curls of the girl before her. Bright green eyes examined her face and pale hands reached out to touch her shoulders. “It’s okay. You’re safe now.” The Protector of Mantle spoke gently. 

“Penny.” The name escaped Robyn’s lips as she sucked in a breath. The air in here was so suffocating. Tears filled her violet eyes and she threw her arms around the girl. “Thank you.” She cried into her neck. Penny’s arms quickly wrapped around her and she rubbed her back.

Qrow drew in a shaky breath and slumped into the floor. His whole body was in pain. His red eyes darted around, trying to make out anything. A flutter of rose petals finally caught his attention and his eyes focused on the girl now leaning over him. Her silver eyes were wide in terror. “Uncle Qrow!” She cried. One hand cupped his bruised face. “What happened?”

The man tried to find the strength to answer, but he didn’t have any in him. He couldn’t even get his lips to move. Robyn pulled away from Penny to look at Ruby. “The General and the Ace Ops tortured him.” She spoke quietly. “Well, both of us.”

Ruby looked back at Robyn, silver eyes wide. “W-what? Why? Neither of you have done anything wrong.” She gasped. 

The woman’s expression faltered and she looked between Ruby and Penny. She slumped a bit. “You didn’t hear about Clover, then, did you?” Her voice was quiet, distant. Qrow’s eyes squeezed shut. 

The young girl’s eyebrows furrowed together. “What do you mean? What happened to Clover?”

It was Robyn’s turn to close her eyes. She felt just as fault for what happened. “The… night we captured Tyrian and evacuated Mantle…” Her voice cracked. “The night the General turned against us… Clover tried to bring in Qrow, and I escalated the situation. Tyrian got loose and crashed our plane.” Tears welled up in her eyes. Ruby’s silver eyes widened more. Her heart sank at the thought of where this was going. “There was a fight before-”

“Before Tyrian killed Clover with Harbinger.” Qrow’s hushed, raspy voice interrupted the woman. He swallowed thickly and shakily pulled the lucky pin from his pocket. Silver eyes stared at the metal. “It’s all my fault.” He whispered. 

“Uncle Qrow, don’t say that.” Ruby sniffled. She gently took his hand in both of hers, giving it a tight squeeze. “You didn’t kill him.”

His red eyes opened and he looked at her. She was taken back by how much pain was in those eyes. “I broke his aura. It was my weapon that killed him.”

Ruby bit her lip. She knew that if she tried to tell him again that it wasn’t his fault, that it was Tyrian’s, he would only get more upset. He wouldn’t let this go. So she did the only thing she knew how to do. She leaned over and hugged him tightly. “I’m so, so sorry, Uncle Qrow.” She cried softly. His body trembled beneath hers and his arms slowly, weakly wrapped around her smaller frame. She held him for a long minute, comforting him. His breathing was quick and shallow against her neck as he struggled with his emotions. 

Aside from Qrow’s muffled crying, it was quiet for a minute. Ruby and Penny were still processing what had happened. It made sense now, though, why it took them so long to find Robyn and Qrow. Penny glanced over at the pair. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but we need to get going.” She started sympathetically. “Once the General sees that this transport has been attacked, he will send backup.” Robyn nodded in agreement. The last thing they needed was the Ace Ops or any other force to come after them right now, especially with how bad of shape Qrow was in. Penny turned to Robyn. “Can you walk on your own?” The woman nodded in response and slowly got up. Penny made sure she was stable before turning to the other two. Ruby pulled away from her uncle and looked at him.

“Let’s get you out of here.” She spoke gently to him. He weakly nodded in response. Penny bent down and helped Ruby lift Qrow. There was no way he would be able to move on his own. While they carried him out, Robyn grabbed her weapon and yanked Harbinger out of the hull. She followed the three of them out of the ship and climbed up into their own. A large amount of people were in there waiting for them. Robyn glanced around, easily recognizing the members of team RWBY, ORNJ, Pietro, and Maria. Her violet eyes settled on the rest of the group, only to tear up. Fiona rushed up to her, throwing her arms around the woman. “Robyn! You’re alive!” The heavy thud of Harbinger hitting the ground sounded as she wrapped her arms around the smaller woman. Tears flowed down her cheeks. More bodies joined the embrace and she was filled with joy to find that May, Joanna, and Fiona were alive and well. 

Meanwhile, Ruby and Penny carefully carried Qrow into the ship, laying him on the floor. Ruby removed her cape and wadded it up, placing it under his head. Yang rushed over as soon as she saw the state her uncle was in. “What happened?”” She asked frantically. Ruby looked up at her Sadly.

“It’s a… long story.” She bit her lip. “I’ll tell you while Pietro fixes him up.” She carefully moved out of the way as the older man walked over in his fancy wheelchair. 

He lowered the walker to the ground and examined Qrow before giving Penny a set of instructions and items to obtain. The girl nodded and ran to the back of the ship to get the supplies. Pietro shook his head sadly and gently placed a hand on the man’s shoulder. “James has lost his mind.”

Red eyes slowly cracked open to meet his. They looked tired and pained, and yet so lifeless. Qrow didn’t say anything as he laid there. He just looked at the others. Ruby was holding on to Yang. Blake and Weiss were wide eyed with horror. He understood those looks. They hadn’t expected this. None one of them had. Nora, Jaune, and Ren were all quiet, just as shocked. Maria murmured a few words to Pietro before departing for the cockpit. They needed to go. 

Pietro glanced over his shoulder at the kids behind him. He knew they were all worried, but he was going to need some space to fix up Qrow. “I’m sorry, but I need you all to leave us so I can treat him.” Penny walked back in around then with boxes of supplies. Ruby nodded and looked at the others. All of them but her and Yang left. They paused for a minute to kneel down beside their uncle. 

Yang bit her lip. “Stay strong, Uncle Qrow.” She whispered. “We’re here for you.” She gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze.

“Thanks… kiddo.” He whispered raggedly. His red eyes were drooping as pain and exhaustion were pulling him under. Yang slowly got up before leaving with her little sister.

Penny knelt down and began handing her father tools as he needed them. Pietro worked slowly to fix up the broken man. He replaced his shirt with some ointments and bandages to treat the angry cuts and swollen bruises there. As Qrow lost consciousness, Pietro placed an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth and hooked him up on multiple different IVs. He needed all the nutrition and care he could get. Penny helped gently remove the blood and grime from his face and hair before getting a few blankets to place under and over him. When they were nearly done, Robyn slowly walked over, taking a seat beside Pietro. “Is he going to be alright?” She asked quietly. 

“With time, I believe so.” The doctor sat up and adjusted his glasses. “If I had all of my supplies here, I would say without a doubt. But with how much weight and blood he’s lost, it could be awhile.” He sighed. He finished up the rest of his work before turning to Robyn to treat her. The rest of her team stayed back, giving them space to work. 

Her violet eyes looked over the unconscious man. “He’s been through so much these past few weeks.” She spoke as he worked on cleaning up her face. “He’s put all the blame for what happened that night on himself.” She sighed and studied the bandages on Qrow’s chest. “I worry he won’t be well for a long time.”

Pietro nodded in understanding, knowing full well he didn’t know all of the details. “We will all look out for him.” He promised.

She nodded quietly. She was silent for some time. “When the General first brought us in, I thought maybe he would realize who the real enemy was.” She spoke eventually. “I used my semblance on Qrow when they asked him what happened to Clover… and they didn’t believe either of us.” Pietro paused when she said that and looked at her. Her violet eyes stared blankly at the ground beneath her feet. “Ironwood and Qrow have known each other for so long and yet Ironwood betrayed him out of fear.” She continued. “If we don’t stop him, we’ll lose everything to Salem.”  
Penny listened to the conversation quietly, thinking about it all. So much had changed in the last few weeks. She had trusted Ironwood as much as the rest of them, but now he was putting everyone in Mantle and Atlas, maybe even the world, in danger. She couldn’t stand idly by. She was the Protector of Mantle and now the Winter Maiden. She had a job to do. “Then let us figure out a way to stop both of them.” She spoke matter of factly. Pietro and Robyn paused and looked at her. 

“What do you suggest we do, Penny?” Robyn quirked a brow. She sat up a little straighter.

“Salem needs the four relics to get what she wants.” She began. “The Lamp of Knowledge is missing, as well as Oscar, and the Staff of Creation is still in Atlas.” She thought aloud for a minute. “This will take several groups and no small amount of work, but I think we can pull it off. The General needs the Staff to go on with his plan for Atlas. Take that away and he cannot do that.”

“Wouldn’t that put everyone in Mantle and Atlas in danger?” The woman crossed her arms. 

“Yes. That is why we need several teams to evacuate the citizens of both cities to a secure location. Once that is complete, phase two can begin.” Penny spoke. “As the Winter Maiden, I am the only one that can open the vault and retrieve the Staff of Creation. We will have to sneak in and get out without being caught, then safely remove the Staff from the reach of Ironwood and Salem.”

Pietro sighed. “It’s a start, but we must consider the chances of the Staff being forcibly taken from us. Tyrian Callows and Salem’s other minions are still on the loose.” 

Robyn thought a bit, glancing at a sleeping Qrow. “Retrieving the Lamp and the Staff are top priorities in this cause, which means dealing with Salem’s minions at the same time.” Her violet eyes hardened. “My huntresses and Qrow can handle retrieving the Lamp and dealing with Salem’s forces. I have no doubt that Qrow wants Tyrian’s head.” Purpose filled her voice and the huntresses in the back of the room gave off small cheers of agreement. “Team RWBY and ORNJ can focus on evacuating Mantle and Atlas, as well as finding Oscar. When all is said and done, you can retrieve the Staff, Penny. After that, we will need to find the two remaining relics and the Summer Maiden.”

The Maiden nodded, liking this plan so far. “Let us discuss it with the others.”


	2. Paralyzed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mission to retrieve the Lamp of Knowledge proves to be a lot harder than our group of heroes anticipated. Is retrieving the lamp worth the pain? the sacrifice? They're about to find out.
> 
> "I'm paralyzed  
> Where are my feelings?  
> I no longer feel things  
> I know I should  
> I'm paralyzed  
> Where is the real me?  
> I'm lost and it kills me inside"  
> -Paralyzed, NF

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off: I'm terribly sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. I honestly thought I would have it posted two days after the first chapter, but then everything with the Corona Virus hit. Work has been hectic and I didnt really have time to write until this week. 
> 
> Fun fact: 95% of this chapter wasn't going to be written. I was just going to vaguely mention it in a conversation and move on, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized that this mission was essential for the story and I went back and wrote it. Everything planned for this chapter will be moved to chapter three. BIG SHOUT OUT to my boyfriend for helping me write a good portion of this chapter. Writing a fight scene that involves 16 characters is very hard to do and we spent the last five days doing so. 
> 
> I hope you guys like! I PROMISE I won't keep you waiting as long for the next chapter!
> 
> WARNING! This chapter involves heavy mentions of fighting, swordplay, gunfire, fire, broken bones, and blood. if this makes you uncomfortable, please skip past it.

Ruby sat quietly beside her uncle, her silver eyes watching him. Despite the fact that he’d been unconscious for the last three days, Qrow’s health had improved. Most of the bruising on his thin face had faded and some of the shallower cuts had healed. Pietro removed a few of the bandages as Qrow healed. There had been times when her uncle’s eyes would open, but he remained unresponsive, quickly falling back into his coma-like state. Ruby could tell that his body was incredibly weak from malnutrition. IVs stayed in the man’s arms, keeping him hydrated and pumping nutrients into his body. He was hooked up to oxygen until Pietro was certain that he would be alright breathing on his own. Ruby curled up a bit as she thought about the situation. She was beyond grateful for Pietro’s help and his vast knowledge of medicine. Who knew what condition Qrow would be in otherwise? Her small hand reached down and took her uncle’s hand, holding onto it. So much had happened in the last few weeks and her uncle had missed out on so much of it. Granted, none of it was good, but still. She just hoped he would be well again soon. She’d been so worried the whole time he had been missing, but a different worry was setting in now. Would Qrow fall back into his old patterns of drinking and fighting as he did when her mother died? He had changed for the better in Atlas, and largely thanks to Clover, but now that all of it was gone… 

Ruby shook her head, trying to put herself in a better mind set. Thinking like this would only bring the grimm to their ship. She sighed, instead going through the plan in her head. The plan Penny, Pietro, and Robyn had pulled together the day they rescued the missing huntsmen. It seemed like a solid plan. They needed to keep the people of Mantle and Atlas safe from Ironwood, but that required the small group to move the kingdom’s people and take the Staff of Creation from Ironwood. That in itself was no small task. Ruby hoped that Salem’s recent attack on Atlas would be motivation enough for the people to leave. Then there was the fact that Oscar was still missing. There had been absolutely no news of him. No sightings, no proof of capture. They should have heard something by now. Same for the Lamp too. Team JNR told them about how Neopolitan had taken the Lamp from right under their noses. Was Neo working for Salem too? Or did she take the Lamp for her own selfish reasons? Either way, the Happy Huntresses and Qrow, if he was better by then, would be going after the Lamp soon. Hopefully this meant they would find it and stop at least a few of Salem’s minions in the process. 

A faint groan interrupted her thoughts and she looked back at her uncle. His head shifted a bit towards her, his red eyes slowly cracked open. His vision was a bit hazy but after a few seconds, his eyes met a silver pair. “Hey kiddo.” He murmured groggily. 

Her expression softened and she turned to face him, gently squeezing his hand. “Hey Uncle Qrow.” She smiled gently. “How are you feeling?”

“Like hell.” He muttered but paused. “A lot better though.”

Her smile slowly widened. “Well, I’d hope so, after sleeping three days.” She giggled, shifting closer. “I’m glad to hear that though.” His tired expression softened a bit and he nodded. “Are you hungry? I can get you some food.”

“That’d be great, thanks.” He spoke quietly. “Can you help me sit up first though?” She nodded and happily obliged, carefully helping her uncle up. She leaned him back against the wall so he had some support. “Thank you.” He breathed. He slowly got comfortable before pulling up his blanket to drape it over his shoulders.

Ruby watched him gently, making sure he was okay. “Alright, I’ll go get you food real quick!” She spoke, climbing to her feet. He nodded and watched his niece go. He bit his lip and sighed, slumping a bit against the wall. One hand slipped out of the blanket and opened, revealing the metal charm. His long thumb traced the bumps and ridges of the object. His heart ached a bit and red eyes closed, stopping tears from falling. His chest tightened as he sat there in silence. It wouldn’t do any good to have a breakdown now. Not when Ruby would return soon. 

Feather light footsteps slowly approached the broken man and a form slid down against the wall beside him. He could almost feel their hesitation before a small, warm arm wrapped around his shoulders. Their hand gave a gentle, reassuring squeeze. A single bare finger rested on top the fabric of his shirt. Robyn. “Hang in there, little bird.” Her voice was hushed, soothing. Qrow nodded and he relaxed against her smaller frame. After that, not a single word was spoken. Qrow’s hand slowly tightened around the charm, pulling it close to his torso.

Silence enveloped them, the only exception being the faint hum of the ship’s engine. Robyn’s violet eyes quietly observed the man slumped against her. It had been a few days since their rescue and he didn’t look much better other than some bruises and cuts healed. She had to resist the urge to ask the questions on her mind. Instead, she focused on just holding him, her thumb rubbing his shoulder reassuringly. “Thank you.” A ragged voice escaped his lips after some time. 

She paused and looked over at him. “You’re welcome, Qrow.” She spoke, hesitating. “I’m… I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you.” Her voice was hushed, distracted. “Maybe if I had been, that fight would have never happened… H-he’d still be alive.” She paused again. “Maybe you wouldn’t be in this bad of shape.” 

“We all must play the hand we’re dealt.” His head lifted off her shoulder as he leaned back against the wall. Red eyes slowly cracked open and peered down at the charm in his pale hand. After a minute, he slipped it into his pocket. “I’m sure you have better cards coming up.” He spoke.

She nodded and bent her legs, wrapping her arms around her knees. “I certainly hope so, for the world’s sake.” Qrow nodded in agreement. Robyn looked at him. “Until then, I think it’s best us two birds stick together.”

Red eyes met violet and Qrow nodded, a ghost of a smile on his lips. “Sounds like a plan.” He murmured. 

“Joanna, what do you see?” Robyn’s voice barely carried through the frigid air, cracking a bit. She was crouched beside the larger woman, waiting patiently for an answer. 

The green haired woman was staring through the sights of her crossbow, scanning the area ahead of them. “There’s movement by the front entrance.” Her voice replied after a minute. “Looks like a few Beowolves, nothing we can’t handle.” Robyn nodded and glanced at the other three beside her. Fiona and May laid on their stomachs in the snow, peering over the small hill at the building below. Qrow sat quietly behind them, the lower half of his face tucked into the collar of the jacket he wore. 

Robyn frowned when she noticed he was shivering. Not far behind them, teams RWBY and JNR were crouched down in the snow, ready for action. The seven kids were all quiet, holding onto their weapons. “Let’s send these beasts back to hell.” She spoke. The sooner they finished them off, the sooner they could go inside. Joanna chuckled and pushed off the ground, grabbing her crossbow. Fiona and May sat up as well. Qrow silently removed Harbinger from his back and glanced down at the massive weapon. He frowned at the mode it was in and quickly adjusted it to its scythe version. 

Silver eyes watched his expression and Ruby quietly shifted closer to him, placing a gentle pat on his shoulder. It was all too obvious to the girl that her uncle wasn’t comfortable using his weapon after what had happened. Red eyes briefly met hers. Qrow relaxed a bit, lightly nodding; a small, grateful gesture. Ahead of them, the Happy Huntresses began the quick descent to the clearing below, immediately catching the attention of the Beowolves. The remaining huntsmen followed suit, Qrow bringing up the rear. Each team engaged with a Beowolf, carrying out their usual attacks. Ruby served as a distraction for her team’s target, speeding around it. Weiss’s glyphs worked to throw it off its balance and stop it from bolting while Yang and Blake’s well timed team attack put a quick end to the beast. JNR had a bit more trouble with their Grimm since their team was down one. Despite the fact, Jaune analyzed its movements and called the shots as he always did. Ren and Nora followed his lead. “Nora, shield!” Jaune called, crouching down and raising his shield. The orange haired girl grinned and charged towards him, jumping onto the metal object. Jaune pushed back against her weight, propelling her skyward. Nora readied Magnhild as she shot up and over the Beowolf. The head of the massive hammer connected with the monster’s face, forcing it to the ground. Ren was standing below, StormFlower awaiting the Grimm’s neck. 

The remaining Beowolves went after the Happy Huntresses and Qrow. Joanna, May, and Fiona took on one while Robyn baited another away from the group, firing at it with her crossbow. Qrow caught up with the group, aiding Robyn with the creature. The Beowolf turned to face the pair. A snarl escaped its lips as it rose on to its back legs, claws raised. Red and Violet eyes narrowed and Qrow weakly stepped forward, Harbinger becoming a hand cannon. Rapid fire of gunshots echoed across the clearing and the grimm staggered back, letting out a howl. It dropped back down onto all fours, charging the pair with rage. Robyn released a bolt from her crossbow and quickly readied another as the first sunk into the monster’s shoulder. Harbinger transformed back into a scythe and Qrow met the beast halfway, distracting it. The Beowolf skidded to a halt and struggled to land an attack on the man below. While he wasn’t completely stable yet, Qrow’s reflexes kicked in and ducked down, simultaneously swinging the scythe in his hands. The blad hooked around the Grimm’s back leg , pulling it out from under the creature. 

The Beowolf collapsed with a pitiful cry, only to be immediately silenced by a metal bolt to the chest. The monster dissipated in a cloud of smoke. Qrow climbed to his feet and glanced over at Robyn, panting from the exertion. There was a faint smirk on the huntress’ face. “Thanks for giving me an opening.”

Qrow couldn’t stop from rolling his eyes. “Show off.” He paused briefly at the words that left his mouth, but shook it off. He raised his scythe and glanced around. The huntresses ahead of them finished off their Beowolf as well. “Looks like that's the last of them.” She huffed. Robyn nodded and began walking toward the entrance of the building. Qrow’s red eyes glanced over the place and he followed Robyn over. The large building was carved from a cliff wall, its windows and doors encased in heavy metal. Thick cracks and shrubbery decorated the grey walls.

“This place gives me the creeps.” Jaune muttered from a short distance behind them. 

Robyn reached the door first. She inspected the thick metal and lightly pressed against it, testing its integrity. The door didn’t budge in the slightest. She turned around and looked over at her girlfriend. “Fiona, you’re up.” She smirked. The small woman perked up and scurried over as Robyn stepped aside. 

Fioan glanced over the door before pressing her hands on it. The metal began to flicker and dissipate, being absorbed into her small body. Robyn watched with a happy smile. Once the door was gone, Friona stepped inside and the huntsmen began to move in. The hallway before them was dim and rather difficult to see through. “Blake, can you lead the way?”” Ruby asked the Faunus, knowing she could see fine. 

“Yeah.” The girl stepped to the front of the group, looking around for which neadway to go. “Stay close behind me.” She murmured before walking ahead. The group followed quietly, on each others’ heels. Qrow, Robyn, and Fiona brought up the rear. Having a Faunus in the back also guaranteed that they wouldn’t lose anyone on the way in or out. Blake led the group down several different hallways as she looked for some sign of life. Her cat ears listened intently, ignoring the shuffling behind her. After a moment, she paused, holding up a hand. Yang skidded to a stop, nearly running into the girl. 

“Sorry!” She squeaked quietly, stepping back. They all waited for Blake to say something or move along but she remained silent, ears perked. 

“Blake, what is it?” Ruby finally asked. 

The girl was quiet for a long minute. “I hear voices.” She spoke in a hushed tone. “I’m trying to figure out who and what they’re saying.” Ruby nodded quietly in response. After a moment, Blake lowered her hand and began to lead them down a hallway to the left. The group was quiet as they followed the Faunus girl. As they drew closer to the voices, it became easier to see. Ruby and Yang could make out Blake in front of them. The others relaxed slightly now that things were a little clearer. Blake’s cat ears twitched a bit and she glanced around another corner. Her eyes widened and she leaned back into the hallway they were in. 

“Is something wrong?” Weiss asked quietly. 

“It’s Neopolitan.” Blake bit her lip, glancing at team JNR. Nora’s eyes narrowed and she readied Magnhild, expecting a fight. Ren places a hand on her shoulder, silently pleading with her to not do anything rash. Blake’s gold eyes met Ruby’s silver. “She’s… She’s working with Cinder again.”

Jaune glanced over at Ruby. This wasn’t good news. “Well, at least this explains why she attacked Oscar and took the relic.” He sighed under his breath. He silently drew Crocea Mors from its sheath, wanting to be prepared for anything. Ruby nodded quietly and stepped closer to Blake so she could glance around the corner. Down the hallway, she could see into the opening of a room. Neopolitan was perched on top of several stacked crates, one leg crossed over the other. She was slumped over, her face resting against her small fist. Her umbrella was propped up against the same crates she sat on. A bored and possibly annoyed expression was chiseled into her round face as she watched Cinder pace around the room. Ruby could hear her going on about something unimportant. However, a sound came from the same room, causing the hair on Ruby’s neck to stand up. Metal on rock. Cinder paused mid stride and glanced at something, or someone, further back into the room, out of Ruby’s line of vision. Neo straightened, suddenly uncomfortable. 

“I brought you the lamp. What more do you want from me?” Cinder scowled, crossing between arms. 

“Cinder, dear, you still haven’t learned your lesson.” A calm voice replied. “We heard about that little stunt you pulled at Atlas Academy with the Winter Maiden. You’re still pursuing your own goals, not Salem’s.” There was a pause before some footsteps came from the room. Ruby frowned. The voice seemed familiar, but she couldn’t place it. 

Her eyes narrowed and she glanced around, wondering if she could get any closer without being seen. There were several crates in the hallway, staggered along its length. Ruby quietly collapsed Crescent Rose and turned to her team and the others. She pressed a finger to her lips before holding up her hand, gesturing for them to stay. Her team nodded understandingly. Ruby lowered to a crouch and began slowly making her approach to the room. She made sure to stay close to cover in case Neo or Cinder turned and saw her. Worse case, she could use her semblance to escape.  
In the back of the group, Qrow shifted anxiously. Something didn’t seem right here. Robyn glanced at him. “Putting your own goals before Salem’s is punishable by death.” The voice in the room continued. The deafening sound of metal against rock sounded again and Ruby took cover behind a crate. Neo quietly hopped off the crate she was sitting on and crossed her tiny arms. Cinder placed a hand on her hip. 

“Salem promised me the power of the maidens.” The girl replied snarkily. “I’m simply following that promise. I will get that power.” Ruby bit his lip. She was glad Penny hadn’t come on this mission. There was a long pause and she took the opportunity to keep moving closer. 

A faint chuckle filled the room. “Very well.” By then, Ruby made it to the wall where the door was. Blake and Yang watched anxiously after the girl as she moved. Weiss stood right behind them, Myrtenaster ready. It was easier to see Ruby in the light coming from the distant room. Ruby leaned against the wall, listening intently. She still couldn’t place a name to that voice. It was a man’s nonetheless. It was deep, cocky, and yet carried smoothly. Like it’s owner looked down on the two he was talking to. “You may return with us to headquarters. I’m sure Salem would like a word with you.” 

“Excellent. We can leave immediately.” Cinder spoke smugly. Ruby could hear the sound of the girl's glass heels clicking on the rock floor as she turned, walking towards the door. Silver eyes widened and she reached for Crescent Rose. “I’d like to get the lamp to Salem and continue to Vacuo.” Ruby paused at that. So Vacuo was their next target. 

“Not so fast.” Another voice joined the conversation then. Ruby’s eyes widened again, more so this time, and the girl froze in place, terror making its way on to her round face. That was a voice that haunted her dreams. “We have visitors.” A maniacal laugh echoed down the hallway and the whir of metal sounded. Ruby spun around, raising Crescent Rose. The shriek of metal on metal grabbed the rest of the group’s attention. “Hello there, little rose.” A cackle greeted the girl. Tyrian was crouched in the doorway, a grin on his face. His metal tail strained against her scythe. 

His laughter sent chills through the group. Qrow’s blood ran cold and his face was grim as a multitude of emotions fought to make their way on to it. Red eyes narrowed and his body was already moving, a hand withdrawing Harbinger. “Qrow.” Robyn hissed, grabbing the wrist of that same hand. “Don’t.” Her violet eyes were hard but he could see the panic in them. He was still far from back to normal. Hell he still couldn’t stand or walk normally. If he attacked Tyrian now, it would not end well for him.

“Don’t try to stop me.” He growled. Sparks brought his red eyes to life. 

Robyn’s grip tightened around his wrist. Ahead of them, the group was beginning to move, rushing to Ruby’s aid. “You aren’t strong enough right now. If you try to get revenge, he will kill you.” She pleaded with him. “Please… I can’t lose my friend like this.”

His eyes tightened a bit at her words and he paused. “I know.” He spoke quieter, the anger gone from his expression. “But that’s my niece out there. I’m not going to let that bastard take away anyone else I can about.” With that, he turned and slipped free of her grip. Robyn’s expression faltered before hardening. She scowled and readied a bolt in her crossbow, running after him. Fiona was right behind her. 

Ruby struggled under the weight of Tyrian’s tail, trying to hold him off. Silver eyes watched him, but didn’t catch the sudden movement in time. The metal tail slipped from the collapsed Crescent Rose and snaked around the girl’s waist. Tyrian’s hands yanked the off balanced weapon from her hands before ducking and throwing her through the open door. Ruby collided with the back wall and dropped to the ground, shaken by the move. Tyrian cackled and slinked back into the room, opening Crescent Rose. 

A small whimper came from Ruby as she pushed off the ground. She glanced up, silver eyes taking in the three other people in the room. Cinder, Neo, and Arthur Watts. Neo already had her pink umbrella in hand. Cinder stood where she had been before, golden eyes wide. Tyrian was swinging her weapon around easily, admiring the handiwork. Arthur coolly turned to look over at the man. “Now how did you possibly know she was there?” 

Tyrian snickered and tapped a finger to his ear. “Don’t tell me you forgot I’m a Faunus.” He replied cheekily. “Our little rose needs to improve on her stealth.”

Arthur rolled his eyes and opened his mouth, but a gunshot rang out, silencing his reply. Tyrian’s tail deflected the bullet, sending it to the wall. “Not as much as your hearing needs to.” A raspy  
voice came from the dark hallway. The Faunus grinned and turned, tail moving eagerly. He knew that voice from anywhere. A black streak shot out the doorway and towards the man. With the flutter of black feathers, Qrow appeared, bringing Harbinger down on Crescent Rose. The metallic clang sent a shiver down Ruby’s spine. She pulled herself to her feet as Arthur stumbled away from the fight.

“So nice of you to join us, Branwen.” Tyrian grinned wildly. “I was beginning to think you died in the attack on Atlas. That would’ve been a bummer.” He pouted. The Faunus’ metal tail whipped around and Qrow flipped backwards to avoid it. As he landed, his ankle rolled slightly and he stumbled before catching himself. He raised his scythe, only to be greeted with a curious stare. Yellow eyes scanned the huntsman’s body, taking note of how loose his clothing was. How he could barely stand up straight. How he was already winded. The slightest hint of annoyance crossed Tyrian’s face. Somebody had beaten up the bastard for him and he didn’t appreciate the fact. Killing a bird with clipped wings wasn’t sport. It was insulting.

Cinder glanced between the two before immediately growing bored of the sudden stalemate. She turned and made her move, sending a fireball straight for the silver eyed girl. Ruby squeaked and flung herself to the side, narrowly avoiding the flames. Cinder closed the space between them, wielding a black glass sword. “Ruby!” Yang’s voice echoed from the hallway. Ruby’s eyes widened and she spun away from the wall in a flurry of rose petals. She couldn’t do much against Cinder’s attacks; not while she was weaponless. She needed to find a way to get Crescent Rose back from Tyrian.

“Yang!” Ruby could see her team coming down the hallway. Her sister’s eyes were a familiar red, blonde hair blazing in the dark.

Cinder’s gold eyes sparked with rage when she saw them and she sent a massive fireball past Ruby and into the hallway. Weiss’ blue eyes widened and she pushed forward, throwing up a large glyph. The fireball crashed into it, tendrils of flame hungrily reaching around the edges of the protective glyph. Weiss pushed back, burying Myrtenaster into the ground in front of her. She squeezed her eyes shut and forced the glyph to grow, covering the entrance of the hallway. Blake and Yang stood directly behind her, weapons ready for whatever came next. Seconds later, the flames extinguished and Weiss dispelled her glyph. Yang pushed forward, red eyes snapping to her two family members. Qrow grew impatient with Tyrian’s sudden silence and leapt into battle. He needed to get Ruby’s weapon from him. And fast or this would not end well. There was only one person in this room that Qrow feared, and it was Tyrian. Yang huffed and averted her gaze to her sister. Ruby was stuck between Neo and Cinder, the sharp point of the umbrella digging into the girl’s back. Cinder’s face was contorted with rage. “You won't be leaving this place alive.” She growled. “Not once I’m through with you.”

Yang’s eyes widened and she threw her arms up, launching a barrage of explosive energy from Ember Celica at her. Cinder shrieked and stumbled back several paces, the sudden attack catching her off guard. Blake reacted just as quickly as Yang, flinging Gambol Shroud out. The weapon wrapped around Neo’s umbrella, yanking it away from Ruby’s back. Neo’s eyes widened and she spun a bit from the force, catching herself. The umbrella slipped from her grasp and she tried to see where it went as she climbed back to her feet. As the two girl’s took out Ruby’s attackers, Weiss ran to Ruby’s side, Myrtenaster raised towards Cinder. 

Team JNR rushed in just after them. Nora’s eyes zeroed in on Neo and she raised Magnhild. “Neopolitan.” She stepped forward, anger clear as day on her sweet face. “This… is for Oscar.” She swung the massive hammer around, connecting its head with Neo’s stomach. The small girl was sent flying across the room before rolling across the floor and colliding with a crate. 

Ren’s eyes widened and he went after Nora. “Nora!” He needed to keep her in check. If he didn’t, she might kill Neo for the sake of revenge. The Huntresses finally made it in the room then. Robyn glanced around wildly, crossbow ready. When she saw Qrow fighting off Tyrian, she immediately rushed over. 

Tyrian deflected a hit with Crescent Rose before using the Queen’s Servants to fire several shots at Qrow. The man slid back, spinning Harbinger around to shield himself from the bullets. “Qrow-” Robyn called over to him but was cut off by the sound of a revolver. Arthur stood near Tyrian, his gun aimed at the huntress. Thankfully, Harbinger had stopped the bullet. 

Qrow panted heavily as he stood his ground. “Robyn… please… stay back.” He didn’t want to be the reason she got hurt… or worse. Violet eyes examined him and they couldn’t help but widen. His body was shaking from exertion and flickers of red shot across his form. His aura could break any second. She scowled. She never should have let him come on this mission. It was too soon after escaping imprisonment. His aura needed just as much healing as he did. 

Tyrian’s maniacal laugh cut off Robyn’s answer. “This is almost sad.” He cooed mockingly. He twirled Crescent Rose in his hand and his metal tail swayed from side to side. “Two broken birds at the mercy of a scorpion.” His expression darkened, bloodlust taking over. “Tell me Qrow, will you let her die too?”

Qrow’s expression cracked, the anger and hatred falling away. Tyrian could see just how deep of a nerve he had hit. Red eyes pricked and filled with tears and he was barely able to hold himself up. The adrenaline of the fight was gone. He leaned against his Scythe and Robyn rushed to his side, becoming his crutch. His hatred transferred to her. Violet eyes hardened and her voice, thick with emotion, rang out. “You’re a monster, Callows. And you will pay for what you did.”

Tyrian’s dark cackle sent a shiver down their spines. “Then make me.” The Faunus charged at them with Crescent Rose. Violet eyes widened and she released the bolt in her crossbow, knowing it would be immediately deflected by the scythe. Qrow struggled to pull himself back together as he raised Harbinger. The two scythes clashed and Qrow’s arms shook under the force of the blow. The impact drove his scythe down into the floor, the weapon’s blade digging deep, and it took all of his strength to pull the weapon free in time to deflect the next attack. Another rapid strike from Tyrian drove his weapon out wide, and Tyrian surged forward to seize on the opening. Desperately, Qrow threw himself sideways, narrowly dodging a vicious stab from Tyrian’s tail. As he rolled, he hooked outwards with Harbinger, catching Tyrian’s leading foot and pulling hard. Tyrian hit the ground shortly after Qrow, but his echoing laughter still rang out, taunting him. Qrow scrambled to his feet as that poisonous tail stabbed the ground where he once was, but it darted back much too quickly for Qrow to retaliate. Then Tyrian was after him again, jumping to his feet and slashing with that scythe once more.

Behind them, Arthur watched the fight with an intense gaze. His revolver was trained on Qrow. All they needed was one more hit. One more well placed hit and his aura would break. That was one step closer to winning this fight. Suddenly his arm was forced up and twisted, his gun firing as his trigger finger squeezed. The crack of the gunshot rang in the building, and he scowled before looking towards his assailant. May was standing in front of him, and his arm was hooked inside the head of the spear, where the crossbow arms rested against the head of the weapon. Where did she come from? A few paces behind her, the lamb Faunus also had her spear ready. The two shared a grin. “Got you.” May spoke, hooking his arm slightly higher above his head and twisting it painfully. His grip on the revolver tightened with the pain, and he gritted his teeth while staring at the two. Then he smirked as he saw her mistake.

“On the contrary-” He began as he relaxed his shoulder joint. Then he exploded into motion, launching towards her and twisting with the spear before throwing a backhanded strike at May. Her grin turned to surprise and she ducked abruptly. Her spear lowered as she dropped however, and Arthur took the moment to pull his arm closer and guide the spear. Then he pressed close, pulling the spear past him and smashing his elbow towards May’s face. Again she narrowly avoided the strike, but she was backpedaling now, and Arthur continued to guide the spear, using it against her as he tripped up her movements. Fiona leveled her crossbow spear, the bolt flying from the weapon with a sharp crack. Arthur abruptly twisted however, using the spear to deflect the bolt. Then he twisted his arm and aimed the revolver at Fiona before firing several rounds at her. May jammed the spear forward as he fired, throwing Arthur’s aim off, the rounds searing the air next to Fiona’s head. Arthur predicted the sudden jab by May however, and he twisted his entire body with the movement and pulled on the spear. May, already off balance because of her thrust, stumbled forward, and Arthur finished his spin and pulled his stuck arm towards himself. At the same time, he grabbed the shaft of the spear and used his stuck arm and free hand to pull the weapon tightly towards himself, binding May against his body as well as pressing the revolver against her head. “-it appears that I’ve got you.” He stated, glaring at Fiona. She watched anxiously, helpless to prevent the grapple for fear that Arthur would fire that revolver at point blank range.

Across the room, Weiss turned to face Cinder . “Ruby, are you okay?” Weiss asked her friend, worry clear in her voice. Blue eyes watched Cinder as they stood there, Myrtenaster ready for any move she made.

“Yeah, I’m okay now.” The girl squeaked and stood back to back with her, catching her breath. Yang and Blake quickly joined them. Yang’s eyes switched to violet and she relaxed slightly. Ruby wasn’t in immediate danger now, but she wasn’t going to let anything happen to her baby sister. 

A frustrated scream caught their attention and Ruby spun to see Cinder glaring daggers at her. Cinder’s fingers curled into claws as she grasped at nothing in rage, her face contorting into a look of pure hatred. Maiden’s flames engulfed her eyes as the air around them boiled. Sparks danced along her arms as flames leapt to life, the licking flames dancing along her body. She lifted off the ground and trained her hands on the four girls. “This is where you die.” A bright flash filled their vision as Cinder unleashed hell upon them. Ruby blinked against the bright light but it wasn’t any use. She could barely see anything, let alone the three girls standing around her. Fear shot through her body as she waited for the fire to engulf them. However, the hungering flames never did. 

Through the bright light, Ruby could make out a silhouette standing in front of the group, shield holding back the barrage. He stood strong against the attack, even as the flames whipped around the metal in his hands. The inferno reflected off his golden hair and metal armor, making it that much harder to see. “Jaune!” Ruby cried out. Tears spilled down her round cheeks, only to evaporate from the blazing heat around them. 

An eerie silence filled the room as the flames went on. The brutal attack took them all by surprise. Cinder’s enraged scream and the roaring fire drowned out everything. Qrow’s eyes widened and he stumbled, calling out for his nieces and team RWBY. His voice was lost to the fire. The scream drew Nora’s attention from Neo. A cold feeling washed over her when she realized that Jaune was quite literally in the heat of it all. “Jaune!” She screamed. 

Her body began to move but Ren held her back. “Nora, we can’t go in there!” He shouted as she struggled against him. There’s no way they could survive those flames.

Inside the inferno, the young man risked a quick glance over his shoulder and he planted his feet in the ground. The four girls behind him had crouched to the ground, trying to avoid the flames. “Get out of here!” He yelled. His attention immediately turned back to the fight. Blue eyes narrowed and he tightened his grip on his shield. Weiss only nodded in response as she took Ruby and Yang’s hands, pulling them to their feet. Yang’s hand grabbed Blake’s and they all followed Weiss’s lead. The four girls’ stumbled as they escaped the flames, white light consuming their vision. In her blindness, Weiss panicked and released Yang and Ruby’s hands, feeling around for where she was. Ruby collided with the far wall and let out a small whimper. Yang felt around until her hand found Ruby’s shoulder, realizing that her sister was fine.

The second the four girls made it out of the fire, Robyn turned her attention back to Tyrian. She didn’t dare stay distracted. This fight was life or death. The Huntresses quickly followed her lead. Joanna fired a bolt from her crossbow spear, hoping to score a lucky shot while Tyrian was focusing on Robyn, but he was too quick for that. A quick parry of Crescent Rose sent the bolt hurtling harmlessly past him, and then he was attacking them once again. Tyrian slashed the stolen scythe upwards, Robyn deflecting the leading strike, then leapt into the air and twisted his body. A shot rang out as he fired the weapon, using the recoil to slam down towards Robyn. He then kicked out with one leg, using her raised weapon as a platform. The force threw Robyn to the ground, and she tumbled as Tyrian lunged at Qrow, who’s attention was turning back to the fight. The huntsman narrowly deflected the vicious rush. The two scythes threw sparks as metal twisted and shrieked. Qrow blocked several strikes and even managed to sneak in multiple attacks against Tyrian’s aggressive assault. 

Robyn rolled with the force of the kick before coming to a kneeling stance, aiming her crossbow at Tyrian. She fired off several bolts in rapid succession, but it was almost as if Tyrian knew they were coming. That mechanical tail deflected each bolt harmlessly, doing nothing to slow his attack against Qrow. Then Joanna rushed forward, assisting Qrow before he was overwhelmed. She swung the spear hard, hoping to land a disabling blow or at least power through the defense that Tyrian’s tail was putting up, but at the last moment before the spear landed, Tyrian abruptly dodged sideways, leaving the spear to smash into the ground where Tyrian once stood. Joanna’s eyebrows rose and she looked up in time to see Tyrian’s foot collide with her body. The hit knocked her down and on her side, defenseless. While he was distracted, Qrow row spun around Harbinger, nicking the Faunus’ back and braid. Tyrian howled and ducked, rolling out of reach of the weapon. He stood up, a smile playing on his lips until he noticed a lock of hair fall to the ground. His expression dropped and a hand pulled his braid over his shoulder. His yellow eyes went wide. The braided hair unfurled in his hand and slipped from his grip, falling in waves around his shoulders. There was a faint smirk on Qrow’s exhausted face. “How dare you?!” Tyrian screamed and ran forward, wildly swinging Crescent Rose.

Joanna rolled out of the way, avoiding the attack from her position. Robyn released another bolt as the man charged. The armored tail flicked the bolt out of the way just as he reached Qrow. The huntsman took a defensive position, focusing on blocking or parrying the Faunus’ attacks. Joanna quickly climbed to her feet and scooped up her weapon, returning to the fight. She wasn’t out of this yet. 

Thanks to the inferno in the center of the room, Arthur was distracted now. The fire was so bright that it had seared a residual light into May’s eyes. But she had to get out of Arthur’s grapple or she was going to be a hindrance to her friends at best, or a danger at worst. Fiona was still watching her, and she nodded to Fiona before closing her eyes. She could feel her aura draining and knew that if Arthur did decide to fire at her, her aura would do little to deflect the first shot, never mind the second. It was a risk she had to take. 

Fiona moved closer, trusting in May to keep her hidden. There was plenty of noise in the room, so she knew she could move quickly, but still she held her breath as she advanced. As she drew close, an idea sprang into her mind. Arthur was restraining May by holding the spear against her, but if that spear wasn’t there… Some sort of sixth sense must have warned Arthur, his head whipping back towards where Fiona was. But it was too late. She grinned as she reached out and touched the spear, absorbing it. In an instant, May was free and Arthur blinked in surprise and attempted to realign his aim. But May threw a quick jab aimed at his nose, and she felt something crack as her palm slammed home. Then she backpedaled, letting the invisibility drop. Fiona reappeared, holding two spears now, and tossed one to May with a smile before the two leveled their weapons at Arthur once again. 

Arthur grimaced in both anger and pain as his eyes involuntarily welled with tears. This wasn’t going well. He had the upper hand, but he got careless and lost it. His vision was blurred too, and aiming was going to be difficult. So he opted for volume over accuracy, letting loose a hail of gunfire at the two huntresses as he retreated towards the exit. The pair managed to evade or dodge the rounds, even blocking a few, but Arthur did what he wanted to; kept them distracted while he made a hasty escape.

Cinder’s eyes narrowed when she noticed that RWBY had escaped her. However, she was intrigued by the resistance below and she lowered herself to the ground, realizing who was defying her. Her hands drew back, building up power. The flames surrounding her gold eyes lengthened and she smirked. This boy had been nothing but a nuisance for her in the past. She wasn’t going to let him be anymore. Sometimes, the best thing a bug could do was die. “This ends now.” She growled and forced her hands forward. The flames roared to life, increasing in temperature. Orange flickered out and were replaced with blue. The inferno slammed into Jaune’s shield, forcing him back. Its hungry fingers clawed around the metal, reaching for him. Sweat coated his face and neck as he pushed back. The heat was becoming unbearable, but he couldn’t move. Not yet. Team RWBY was still within firing range and if he moved, they would be in big trouble. Jaune winced as his armor began to heat up, burning through his clothes. His aura flickered, showing he was running out of time. Blue eyes closed and he pushed forward. Perhaps if he could get close enough to Cinder, he could throw her off or train her attack elsewhere. He just needed his friends to be safe. Step by painful step, he drew closer to the Fall Maiden.

Ruby glanced around as her vision came back and she looked back at the direction they had come from, feeling the increase in heat. She blinked against the blue light, her eyes settling on Jaune. “Jaune! Get out of there!” She heard Nora scream. She could see the girl thrashing at her boyfriend’s arms, trying to get free of his vise grip. A flicker of white against the blue light caught her attention and she looked back at Jaune. His aura was dropping. Ruby pushed off the ground, eyes wide. 

“Why. Won't. You. Just. Die?!” Cinder screamed. This was taking too long. She stepped forward, throwing more force into her flames. Jaune staggered a bit and lowered into more of a crouch. It was too much. As Ruby watched Jaune falter, memories flooded her thoughts. A dark night. A flash of light. Pyrrha.

“No!” Ruby’s shrill cry was heard over the roaring flames. The girl’s body moved before she could think and she found herself sliding to a different angle, Cinder coming into full view. Her eyes zeroed in on the assailant and a flash of white filled the room. A pitiful scream echoed off the walls and the roar of the fire stopped. Ruby ran forward as the white began to fade, spiralling into a mass of rose petals. She shot forward like a bullet leaving a gun, connecting her foot with Cinder’s face. The villain slammed into a nearby crate, too blind to see the silver eyed girl coming for her. Ruby landed on the ground between her and Jaune. 

Ren let go of Nora the moment the fire was gone. They both ran as Jaune collapsed to his knees, his body smoking. He doubled over, barely catching himself before he hit the ground. “Jaune!” Nora cried, kneeling down beside him. She touched his shoulder, only to immediately pull her hand away. “Aha..” she glanced at her now pink fingers before looking at her friend. His short hair clung to his sweaty face and his breaths came in ragged intervals. 

“I’m… I’m okay.” He barely whispered to his friends, trembling. Ren’s gaze met Nora’s and he shook his head. There was no way he could continue like this. 

“What were you thinking?” She cried. “You would’ve died.” Tears rolled down her cheeks.

Jaune slowly looked up at her, blue eyes drained. “I wasn’t going to let them die.” He wheezed. He flipped over Crocea Mors, examining the damage to the shield. It wasn’t white any more. The metal was warped and completely scorched. When all of this was over, he would need Pietro to do major repairs back at base. Jaune placed a hand over the bottom of the shield, where Pyrrha’s circlet was welded. “Thanks for protecting us again.” He whispered to himself. He glanced up after a second, seeing Ruby standing before them. 

She still didn’t have her scythe but she wasn’t going to let Cinder hurt anyone else. She sped forward, grabbing Cinder by the collar. The villain was taken back by the sudden ferocity in the girl before her. Ruby swung the girl around, slamming her into another crate. The maiden growled and landed a hit to the stomach, forcing her back. Her Grimm arm wasn’t quite functioning from the light attack, but that wouldn’t stop her from giving the brat hell. A black sword formed in her human hand and she spun it around before stabbing forward. Ruby staggered back, narrowly missing the attack. Silver eyes narrowed and she turned, running towards the nearby wall. Cinder pivoted and hissed in frustration, eyes following her every move. As the Maiden’s back turned, Yang unleashed a barrage of firepower. Cinder stumbled as a small explosion punched into her shoulder. Rage made its way back on to her face and her head snapped back, gold eyes now trained on Yang. Flames spread from her eyes and the team prepared for another onslaught of fire. Ruby burst into a flurry of rose petals and shot up the wall before pushing off. The young huntress launched through the air, spiralling quickly.

Cinder heard her coming and she smirked, turning to meet the attack head on. A smirk pulled on her lips as her Grimm hand shot out and swatted at Ruby, knocking the girl off her course. The hit forced her back down to the ground. “You’re going to have to be faster than that.” Cinder spoke. Ruby’s body gave her a bit of protest as she pushed back off the rock floor. She glanced up, silver eyes meeting blue. 

Behind the Maiden, Weiss grinned and raised Myrtenaster, forming several glyphs around Cinder. “That can be arranged.” Ruby jumped up on to one before speeding to the next. The glyphs began to spin, propelling Ruby forward. Ruby sped along the glyphs, gaining speed with each pass. Cinder’s eyes widened and she began to throw attacks at the girl. Fire, her sword, her Grimm arm. Nothing could touch the bullet of rose petals. Yang ceased fire, not wanting to risk hitting Ruby. Blake stood at Yang’s side, yellow eyes analyzing their moves. Ruby wouldn’t be able to take out Cinder by herself, even at the speeds she was going. Gambol Shroud and Ember Celica remained trained on the Maiden. Weiss dug Myrtenaster into the ground as she focused on powering her glyphs, drawing them into a closer circle around their target. She knew this would drain her aura, but this was their best chance at stopping Cinder. Just a bit faster. Nora and Ren helped Jaune to his feet, moving him away from the fights around them. His armor finally wasn’t scalding hot, which made it easier to move him. 

After several pointless swings, Cinder tried to throw another fireball at Ruby. However, as it left her hand, the flames immediately flickered and died. “What?!” She cried in frustration. Her fire had never faltered before. Her voice caught in her throat, immediately turning into a ragged cough. She glanced around, confused. A fogginess began to creep into her thoughts and she coughed more. Her eyes widened more as soon as she realized what was happening. “No.” A series of emotions shot across her face as she began to struggle. “No!” The huntress was moving so fast around her that she was creating a partial vacuum, removing the air from the area. No fuel for the fire. Nothing to breathe. Pitiful gasps escaped her lips as she stumbled around the enclosed space, thrashing around. If she timed it correctly, perhaps she could knock the girl down. Cinder’s desperate attempts failed again and again until her sword slipped from her grasp and she clawed at her throat, face turning red. Seconds later, She sank to her knees, barely able to breathe. In the back of the room, Arthrur glanced over curiously. This was it. Would this be Cinder’s fall? Or would it be her victory? Ruby seized the opportunity, slamming on the breaks. She stepped off the glyphs and lapped around a couple of times, enough to slow down. Rose petals swirled around the room in small twisters as Ruby made her final move. The kick was still too fast for the others to see clearly, but it was obvious what had happened when Cinder was sent flying across the room and into a nearby crate with a heavy thud. 

Yang’s fists raised, Ember Celica ready to meet any resistance. There was none. Cinder slumped to the ground and didn’t move. Ruby panted heavily as red waves shuddered down her own body, signaling an aura break. She dropped to the ground, gasping for air. She had never gone that fast before. “Ruby!” Weiss’ voice called from several paces away. The ice queen yanked Myrtenaster from the ground and ran over to her leader, kneeling down beside her. She placed a hand on her shoulder. 

Silver eyes met blue and she gave her a quick smile. “Thanks. I couldn’t have done it without you.” She wheezed. Weiss smiled softly and helped her sit up.

Yang and Blake rushed over, covering for them. “Your minions aren’t around to save you anymore.” Yang spoke in Cinder’s direction. There was a surprised, yet smug expression on her face.

“Are you sure about that?” Cinder’s voice echoed through the room. Ruby’s blood ran cold and she stared at Cinder, eyes wide. 

Ahead of them, the Maiden’s body shattered like glass, disappearing. Nora immediately raised Magnhild, looking around wildly. “Where is Neopolitan?” She hissed. She had made a mistake taking her focus off that girl. Ren looked around with her. This room wasn’t exactly small, where could she have gone? 

Jaune pulled himself to his feet and leaned against the wall as he steadied himself, he held his shield against his body. After a few seconds, he pushed off the wall and began to move around. “Spread out.” He murmured to his team. Nora and Ren nodded, doing so. Jaune readied his sword but knew he wouldn’t be able to do much with it with the little energy he had. Weiss stayed at Ruby’s side. Now that her aura was broken, she would need protection. Yang and Blake followed JNR’s lead, spreading out more. Cinder and Neo were in here somewhere. 

“Enough hiding Cinder!” Yang shouted. Her eyes flashed red again and she checked behind a nearby crate. Nothing. 

A laugh echoed from behind her and she spun around, eyes wide. “If you insist.” The Maiden’s voice chimed from farther away. Yang immediately began moving in that direction, noticing it was towards Ruby and Weiss. However, before she could call out a warning, Cinder appeared behind her two teammates. “But first, I’m going to make sure this hurts.” Ice burst from the floor and shot up Weiss’ legs, trapping the girl and her weapon. Cinder immediately turned and decked Ruby on the cheek. The girl staggered to the side, completely caught off guard. She lost her balance and fell to the floor, scrambling back. 

“No!” Yang screamed and broke into a run, firing her explosions at Cinder. 

The Maiden deflected the minor attacks with her magic, paying no mind to the charging girl. Flames appeared once more around her golden eyes and she walked up to Ruby, bringing down a flaming fist. “This ends now.” She growled. A hammer swung into view and blocked the blow. A loud crack filled the air, followed by a scream. Cinder cradled her broken fist to her chest and staggered back. Her eyes met a pair of blue as Nora took a defensive stance in front of Ruby. 

“You’re not going to hurt her anymore.” Nora’s eyes narrowed and she swung Magnhild around, transforming it into its grenade launcher. She pulled the trigger, launching a canister at Cinder. The girl batted the canister to the side with her Grimm arm, sending it at the ice statue beside her. The canister exploded on impact and the ice cracked around Weiss. Large chunks dropped to the ground and shattered on the rock, freeing her. The girl stumbled and glanced around, quickly getting a look at where everyone stood. Her eyebrows furrowed together and she ran forward, Myrtenaster raised. Cinder backpedaled, giving her just enough time to summon a black glass sword in her Grimm hand before Weiss lunged.

She led with a quick thrust towards Cinder’s throat, hoping to put her on the defensive quickly. Cinder replied with a quick parry, batting the weapon aside. Weiss quickly pulled the weapon back, careful not to overextend and be pulled off balance. Then she swept the sword across Cinder’s guard before thrusting twice more, aiming at any openings Cinder left. Both thrusts were parried, but only just, and Weiss pressed forward more, slicing and jabbing in order to prevent Cinder from catching her breath. She could see Nora transforming her hammer and charging, and Weiss dropped several rapid glyphs on the ground before unleashing a swift flurry of strikes, hoping to have Cinder off balance and unable to react by the time Nora reached them. Multiple attacks made it through Cinder’s guard, cracking against her fading aura, and she could see the fury and desperation as her weapon jabbed home. Then suddenly, her weapon was stuck. She stumbled slightly, glaring at Cinder as she realized that Cinder’s weapon had shifted subtly as the fight continued, until it represented a curved sword with a hook on the back of the blade. Cinder had hooked Myrtenaster, a sadistic smile creeping onto her face as her eyes blazed. Then she pulled Weiss’ weapon, throwing the huntress past herself and towards Nora, who had raised her hammer for a stunning strike. As she threw, the black glass sword exploded into shards, the jagged pieces stinging and shattering on both of the girls’ auras. 

Weiss rolled from the tumble, narrowly avoiding Nora, then came to her feet again, already dropping a glyph beneath herself to lunge towards Cinder once again. At the same time, Nora leapt and raised her hammer for a devastating downwards strike against the weaponless Maiden. Yang and Blake made it over then. Blake moved quickly, twirling Gambol Shroud and building up its speed for an attack. Yang’s blonde hair was a raging fire, eyes red. Almost a perfect image of anger… of her mother, Raven. Cinder watched as their attacks began and smirked, an idea coming to mind. She slowly drew in a breath and closed her eyes. A strong wind tore through the room and fire shot from her body, joining together in a sphere that encased the Maiden. Her eyes snapped open and a war cry broke through her lips. The sphere enlarged until it exploded, shooting out fire in every direction across the room. The shock wave forced back the four girls that were charging her, knocking them to the ground. 

A bullet of fire shot between Qrow and Tyrian and they stumbled back in alarm. Qrow’s eyes snapped to the other fight, seeing their impending doom. He turned back to Tyrian, anger filling his expression for the first time since their fight began. He set his sights on the stolen scythe in his hand. His niece needed her weapon back. Joanna noticed his gaze and nodded to him, charging up to Tyrian while he was distracted. She spun her spear around, sweeping down to pull the Faunus’ leg out from under him. Qrow burst forward and launched himself up into the air. Harbinger, still in its scythe form, hooked underneath Crescent Rose and ripped it from Tyrian’s hands. Qrow flipped back onto the ground, a massive scythe in either hand. He panted from the exertion and kept an eye on Tyrian. The man seemed to be in shock at the sudden change in the fight. Joanna managed to land another hit on the man before staggering back several paces. Tyrian growled in response and glanced between the two huntsmen, his tail slowly swaying from side to side. The stalemate ended when a bolt whizzed past Tyrian’s head. He spun around, fully expecting Robyn; however, it was just distraction from the woman as May and Fiona joined the fight, carrying out a surprise attack. “Qrow, go!” Robyn shouted. 

The man didn’t need to be told twice. He staggered several steps back and collapsed Crescent Rose before turning. “Ruby!” He shouted. His niece glanced up from where she was kneeling on the ground. Silver eyes brightened a bit and she stumbled to her feet. Qrow focused all of his strength into his arm as he tossed the closed weapon across the room. Ruby staggered a step and managed to catch her weapon. She held onto it tightly as she looked up at her uncle, however the happiness on her face fell when she saw the red waves shudder across his body. His aura was gone. He panted heavily, but turned back around, readying Harbinger. The huntresses still needed his help taking down Tyrian and he wasn’t going to sit on the sidelines and just watch. Ruby’s eyebrows pulled together but she forced herself to focus on her own fight. The rest of her team and Nora had recovered from the shock wave and were preparing to attack once more. A pleased expression was on Cinder’s face and she let out another wave of fire. The nearby crates were set ablaze, but her team managed to avoid the flames. Ruby’s eyes narrowed and she opened Crescent Rose, rejoining the fight. 

Jaune stumbled back from the roaring fire, the heat leaving his face an angry red as it rushed over him. He let out a sound of exhaustion but raised his shield and sword, preparing to join the fight as well. However a warning shout from his right caught his attention. “Jaune!” He turned towards the cry and saw Ren rushing towards him. He raised StormFlower as he ran. Jaune frowned and started to stand straight when a flash of movement in his peripheral vision caught his attention. Neo stood at his side, the razor point of her umbrella leveled at the young man’s exposed throat. There was a sly smile on her face. Jaune sucked in a surprised breath but he made it clear he had no notion of moving. He knew he couldn’t bat the weapon aside or get his shield up before she could stab him. She was much too fast for him. Neo knew it too, and she cocked her head slightly with that sly smile as she prodded the point a little closer to his bare skin. In the silence between them, an explosion sounded as Magnhild fired. 

Nora had heard Ren’s warning cry and turned to see Jaune’s life in Neo’s hands. Without a word, she departed her current fight and fired her weapon. Jaune heard a slight gasp escape from Neo before she hastily pulled the umbrella away from his neck. She forgot about him, instead flaring the umbrella up to deflect the grenade hurtling towards her. She absorbed the explosion head on, staggering hard as the umbrella deflected the explosion itself but not the force behind it. Jaune staggered back as well, then grit his teeth and pressed towards Neo, seizing the advantage while they had it. His sword flashed in, once, twice, each strike barely deflected by the darting umbrella. It seemed as though she was impossible to hit, and he began to grow frustrated at her unwavering guard. Then he saw it; she was on her backfoot. She was backpedaling with each strike of his, and he pressed harder. Each strike stronger than the last, forgoing tact and precision for speed and ferocity. The umbrella moved slower, and his sword managed to clip through once, smashing against her aura. But that was one hit, and more would follow. Her guard was slipping. His sword rang hard against the umbrella twice more, Neo hiding her body completely behind the weapon. However, as Jaune raised his sword for one last strike, hoping to break her guard fully, Neo suddenly twirled the umbrella away and stepped back. She hid it behind her as a hauntingly familiar figure stood straight. 

Jaune sucked in a breath and froze, dropping his sword. Green eyes stared up at him, glinting from the surrounding fire. Long red hair framed her face and swirled down her back. Blue eyes widened, filling with tears. Neo smirked, seeing how instantly helpless the boy had become at the sight of this form. She seized this moment of shock to make her move. She pushed off the ground and an armored shin collided with the left side of his face, forcing him to the floor. “Jaune!” Nora cried. It was easier for her and Ren to recover from the sight of Pyrrha than it was him. They began moving in to help Jaune. Ren opened fire on Neo and Magnhild transformed back into a hammer as Nora closed the distance between them. The girl dodged the attacks with ease, throwing up her umbrella when needed. 

Jaune slowly broke through the shock, pushing off the ground. His body was trembling as he tried to grip the fact that that wasn’t Pyrrha. It was a dirty trick and it worked. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he reached out and grabbed Crocea Mors, gripping it tightly. As he stood back up, anger made its way on to his pained face. He sprinted forward as Nora knocked Neo back with her hammer. The girl spun around, light on her feet despite the added armor, and brought up her now closed umbrella. A loud clang echoed as Jaune’s sword came down on it with brute force. Surprise crossed Neo’s face and she blinked, green eyes turning to her usual pink and brown. “You,” Jaune growled, his wounded expression now hard with hatred. “You don’t have the right to turn into her.” Neo struggled under the weight of the sword, but before she could react, Jaune spun the blade around and slammed it into her side. The illusion shattered and Neo disappeared from in front of him.

Jaune spun around, wildly looking for where she went. Nora and Ren were only feet away, doing the same. Just ahead of them, the fight with Cinder was taking a rough turn. Ruby and Blake had managed to get a few hits in on Cinder, but the Maiden was giving the four girls hell despite her broken hand and aura. Weiss staggered back, turning into support while she tried to catch her breath. Yang was as fiery as ever, but even she couldn’t seem to land a good hit on the villain. As Neo disappeared again, Ruby charged at Cinder, twirling around Crescent Rose. The Maiden sneered and caught the weapon with her grimm hand. Silver eyes widened and Ruby tried to free it from her grasp. Flaming gold eyes watched her for a moment before glancing off to the side. She smirked and let go before spinning around and landing a powerful kick into the girl’s stomach. Ruby staggered back several paces, losing her grip on Crescent Rose. The weapon clattered to the ground as she caught herself, slowly standing up. She panted heavily and looked back at Cinder. She couldn’t keep this up much longer. She was exhausted. A wall of ice shot up from the ground, blocking the others off from Cinder. The Maiden’s eyes watched her intensely and she couldn’t figure out why until it was already over.

Pain shot up Ruby’s left side as a needle slashed through her corset and plunged into her upper back. A piercing scream filled the room and everything froze. Silver eyes widened and a cold feeling shot through her body. Her attacker yanked out the weapon and blood spilt on to the floor as they spun into view. The small girl looked at her as she slung her umbrella over her shoulder, blood on the long, sharp needle at the end. Ruby’s vision blurred and she sank to her knees in front of Neo, gasping for air. A chorus of voices cried out as her body hit the floor. “Ruby!”


End file.
